RASP Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

rasp 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rasp

as in scratch

a harsh grating sound the rusted lock opened with a rasp

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rasp

2 of 2

verb

ˈrasp

as in to rub

to make smooth by friction after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to scratch

to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to annoy

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts the two siblings seemed intent on rasping each other for the entire car trip

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to wear

to damage or diminish by continued friction during the last ice age, glaciers rasped the surface, leaving the deeply scarred rock

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rasp

Noun

Deep and smoky with impressive control and just a touch of Etta James rasp, Spiro’s is a voice not so much influenced by jazz legends like Winehouse or Nina Simone but rather a direct descendant. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026 Hines and Pidgeon give the woman a choreography, the dramatic toss of the hair, the hips gone concave, the Marlboro rasp in her voice. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026

Verb

When the beetle takes flight, the woman, who is busy unpacking, doesn’t realize for a moment that there’s something out of place about that rasping ruckus, that foreign hum. — María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026 Thrips have rasping, sucking mouthparts. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rasp

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp

Noun

Even if Bell plays, if Douglas can’t play Sunday against the Chiefs, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, who has been a healthy scratch in the first two games, can be kept active on game day.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
But after being a late scratch in that game, Stewart was ruled out early of USC’s Big Ten opener against Rutgers.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of scratch

Verb

Drain, then rub beans between fingers to remove as many skins as possible.

— Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Hollidge and Eshaghpour were captivated by Frank’s use of straw, which becomes more or less lustrous depending on how hard it’s rubbed (bringing out the material’s natural silica) and can be dyed to achieve different hues.

— Jill Singer, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of rub

Verb

Radiological scans also confirmed lesions on the dog’s right shoulder, and Cotelo recommended an operation to scrape the excess cartilage, Shin said.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.

— Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of scrape

Verb

The rare curtain call on the road continued an outpouring of support from Mets fans for Alonso over the past two nights — and apparently annoyed at least one of his former teammates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
In fact, one of our contributors delved into the minds of flight attendants to compile a list of what passengers do that annoy flight attendants, and ever since, I’ve been dedicated to finding solutions for these easily avoidable flying faux pas.

— Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of annoy

Verb

County staff are considering whether to file a lawsuit seeking to block the bill, alleging the legislatures does not actually hold the power to order localities to form a JPA, said Janna Haynes, a county spokesperson.

— Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Over nine months after filing for Chapter 11, Fort Worth home builder Village homes emerged from bankruptcy after a federal court approved its reorganization plan.

— Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of file

Verb

As a Bears fan, McDermott doesn’t want to disrupt the team and bug McCaskey or Warren too much.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Irwin is uncertain if the second infestation of bed bugs last weekend were ones that weren’t caught the first time, or if a person brought new bed bugs in.

— Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2026